Energy Tomorrow Blog

Blog Archives

About This Blog

Energy Tomorrow is brought to you by the American Petroleum Institute (API), which is the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America's oil and natural gas industry. Our more than 500 corporate members, from the largest major oil company to the smallest of independents, come from all segments of the industry. They are producers, refiners, suppliers, pipeline operators and marine transporters, as well as service and supply companies that support all segments of the industry.

With EPA’s finalize report expected any day now, Americans should ask what scientific evidence has EPA accumulated since August that would compel the agency to drop or water down its conclusion. The answer is simple: None. The science and the data led to the conclusion in EPA’s 2015 draft report. The agency should stand by it. Any other outcome would be bowing to political arguments, not scientific ones.

New York Post – Six months after Gov. Andrew Cuomo banned fracking as too hazardous, the federal government released a report Thursday saying there’s no evidence the drilling practice has caused widespread harm to drinking water in the United States.

“Based on available scientific information, we found out that hydraulic fracturing activities in United States are carried out in a way that has not had widespread systemic impact on drinking-water resources,” said Thomas Burke, deputy assistant administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

“It is a new lens, so we can all make better decisions about public health.”

The report, issued in draft form after three years of study, cautioned that safeguards are still needed because some drinking water has been contaminated.

“The number of documented impacts on groundwater resources is relatively low,” Burke said.

After five years and millions of taxpayer dollars, EPA says what we in industry and others have said for some time: Safe hydraulic fracturing doesn’t threaten our drinking water. The salient quote from EPA’s draft report about fracking and associated operational components:

“We did not find evidence that these mechanisms have led to widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water resources in the United States.”

EPA’s findings discredit scaremongering used by fracking opponents and should help focus attention where industry is and has been focused – on continuous improvements in operational skill, guided by a set of rigorous best practices, and on technological advances.

EPA’s findings also effectively endorse the strong environmental stewardship that is being exercised by state regulators, who have been busy while EPA studied.

Fuel Fix Blog: While many states throughout the nation struggle to make ends meet, surrounded by economic uncertainty, Texas is booming. Robust investment in the energy industry – from deep-water drilling to above ground production, and everything in between – has allowed the state to succeed despite an inconsistent U.S. economy.

None of this is news to those living in the Lone Star State – and in fact Texas has received a steady stream of national attention for its economic success – however it is worth noting that a key reason for such outstanding growth has been the investment in and development of our nation’s extensive energy infrastructure.

In April 2013 alone, Texas created over 33,000 jobs, which is more than any other state in the country, and nearly one-fifth of all the jobs created in the United States.

Forbes: Shale, Fracking Are Not the main Cause of Texas Water Shortages

One of the challenging aspects of shale oil and gas development in the United States comes from the fact that some of the large shale reservoirs are located in areas that are arid or semi-arid. Some, like the Eagle Ford and Cline Shales in Texas and the Niobrara in Colorado, are affected by ongoing drought conditions. This reality can make the sourcing of water for hydraulic fracturing operations a difficult undertaking.

A few days ago, a reader submitted a comment to this blog in which she posed several questions about hydraulic fracturing. Her final question asked why the hydraulic fracturing issue had become so adversarial:

Related Projects

Energy Tomorrow is a project of the American Petroleum Institute – the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry – speaking for the industry to the public, Congress and the Executive Branch, state governments and the media.